


The Snail Prince

by LinXueLian



Series: The Magic Tea Leaves and Other Cultivation Short Stories [3]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Chinese Mythology & Folklore, Fairy Tale Style, Happy Ending, Historical Fantasy, M/M, Romance, Spells & Enchantments, Wuxia, Xianxia, cultivation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 03:00:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,717
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25167346
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LinXueLian/pseuds/LinXueLian
Summary: One day, an archer by the name of Wu-Lang rescues a snail from being carried away and killed by an eagle. He decides to raise it as a pet, only to discover, after coming home from his missions and errands, that food has been cooked for him and his home has been cleaned. When he decides to stay back and investigate this strange incident, he finds out that this simple snail isn’t so simple after all.
Relationships: Original Male Character/Original Male Character
Series: The Magic Tea Leaves and Other Cultivation Short Stories [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1981465
Comments: 11
Kudos: 23





	The Snail Prince

**Author's Note:**

> Loosely based on _Keong Emas_ , a Javanese fairy tale.

There was once an archer by the name of Wu-Lang. The fifth son of his family, Wu-Lang was famous in his kingdom for having fantastic marksmanship, besides possessing an honest and good disposition. At almost five hundred years old, he was also one of the handsomest young masters of his generation.

As an expert archer, Wu-Lang had many comrades and friends. Now and then they would good-naturedly tease him about his bachelorhood, since many of them were already married, but Wu-Lang, who was keen on cultivating, preferred to focus on his achievements first. Additionally, he had also yet to meet someone he had strong feelings for.

“Aren’t you just being picky now?” asked some of his friends.

“He has a right to be picky,” answered some of his other friends for him. “Just look at him! He’s unmatched in everything, be it looks or power.”

At this, Wu-Lang could only smile wryly. It wasn’t that he was picky – he just didn’t know exactly what he wanted. However, he did know that he wanted someone kind, who would love him unconditionally. It’s just that he’s never yet met anyone like that.

Shaking his head at his meddlesome colleagues, Wu-Lang made his way back from the tea shop. He had just returned from a mission ordered by the kingdom and he was looking forward to rest. Presently, he heard the shrill cry of an eagle and turned to look.

At a stream near his house, a large snail with a glittering shell was desperately crawling away, trying to save itself. The eagle grasped its shell with its talons and the frightened snail retracted in to hide itself. The eagle looked like it was going to fly up high and dash it onto the rocks!

Wu-Lang instantly felt sorry for the snail. He lifted a bow and fired a warning shot at the eagle. The arrow grazed its legs, forcing it to release its clutch on the snail.

Right as he fired that shot, Wu-Lang hurried underneath the flying bird. When the snail fell, he snatched it up in his arms so that it wouldn’t fall on the ground and crack its shell. He then aimed a few rocks at the eagle and it flew away, leaving the man behind with the glittering creature.

Wu-Lang petted the pretty shell and smiled at it.

“You were lucky I was here,” he said. “I’m a lonely bachelor anyway. If you don’t mind, I’ll have you as my pet.”

Bringing the snail indoors, he kept his new pet in a large urn filled with water from the stream, making plans to change it each day. He also left some lettuce out for it to eat. The snail appeared to be afraid and didn’t come out of its shell at all the whole day.

The next day, Wu-Lang left his house to go to the capital to carry out some tasks. He had intended to finish as much as he could so he could clean his house that evening. As someone who was very busy, Wu-Lang didn’t get to rest much, but he also didn’t like living in a messy home.

When he arrived back after a hard day’s work, however, he noticed a delicious smell wafting through the windows of his house. Surprised, he walked in – and there on the table was a delicious spread, fresh and piping hot!

On top of that, his house was also very clean. It looked like someone had come around and tidied it up. He looked around and found out that no one was about.

Feeling suspicious at first, Wu-Lang tested the food for poison with a hand seal. However, there were no traces of poison in it, nor were there traces of tampering or witchcraft. The food was safe to eat.

Needless to say, he tucked in! It was delicious.

Home-cooked food was the best. Leaning back on the chair for a while, Wu-Lang was satisfied. His house was clean, so he didn’t have to do anything. All he needed to do was rest. He turned to look at his pet.

The snail was in its shell, sleeping peacefully. It seemed to have come out some time during the day, for the lettuce had already disappeared. Smiling, Wu-Lang tickled its shell and placed another piece of lettuce in the urn.

The next day, Wu-Lang set off again to the capital, returning home only in the evening. And yet again, he saw that there was food on the table, and that his clothes had been washed and folded. As per routine, he tested the food for poison and sat down to eat. It was all very strange, but oddly comfortable as he could sense no malicious intent in the house.

Rather, there was a feeling of being watched over warmly by someone. Wu-Lang couldn’t put his finger in it, but he enjoyed it all the same.

This happened for a few days.

To say Wu-Lang wasn’t curious was an understatement. He really wanted to get to the bottom of it. So one day, he made it as if he was leaving the house again. After that, he hid somewhere under the eaves of his house, near a window.

Anyone coming to the doorway could be seen by him, but they wouldn’t be able to see him. He crouched there and waited.

However, nobody turned up at the doorstep. He continued to wait patiently. It was almost evening when suddenly, Wu-Lang smelled something delicious wafting into his nostrils.

Wu-Lang was stumped. No one had entered his house from the outside. This was extremely strange indeed.

Curious, Wu-Lang kept himself from sight and peeped into the window. He gasped when he saw what was going on.

In the kitchen, on the stone floor, lay the glittering shell of his pet snail. Coming from the entrance of the shell was something that looked like a hazy golden mist. Walking in the mist and preparing a meal was a youth in golden robes.

Wu-Lang stared and stared. Was this the person who had cooked all those meals?

He looked at the youth’s thoughtful, kindly face and realized that this was indeed his pet snail. Knowing that his pet was a shy creature, Wu-Lang decided not to disturb him and allowed him to finish preparing dinner quietly. He would talk to him when he had the chance.

When the sun was beginning to sink, Wu-Lang went into his house through the front door as usual. He acted as if nothing had happened, but this time he didn’t check the food for poison before eating it. After he had dinner, he picked the snail up from the urn and stoked its shell.

“Snail, won’t you come out of your shell to see me?” he asked gently, smiling as he petted it. The snail didn’t come out – however, it seemed to heave a contented sigh and leaned against its master’s belly snugly.

As he stroked his pet lovingly, Wu-Lang thought back about the youth with the kindly face he saw through the window that late afternoon. Wu-Lang had never met anyone like that before. It was true that he had many friends and admirers, but nobody had ever made an impression on him that deeply. The archer just couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Still thinking deeply, he placed the snail back into the urn and bid it goodnight. Then he turned in for the night.

The next morning, Wu-Lang made to leave for work as usual. Once again, he waited until late afternoon, peeping once in a while through the window. This was when he saw a strange mist emerging from the shell. After the mist shrouded an area, it became large enough to form a person, and surely enough, took shape of a handsome young master!

This handsome youth began to bustle around, chopping and preparing the vegetables and meat. While the soup was boiling and he was done stir frying most of the things, he went around cleaning the house with a joyous expression. The young man had a very lovable face and appearance, and Wu-Lang began to fall deeply for him the longer he watched.

Unable to hold back anymore, Wu-Lang barged into the house.

When the mysterious young master caught sight of Wu-Lang, he was surprised. Looking excited, he opened his mouth to speak, but before he could say anything, the mist began to retreat, dragging him back into the shell!

Wu-Lang ran towards the shell, picking it up. His brows were furrowed in worry as he petted the snail.

“Snail, are you alright? Won’t you come out?”

The snail didn’t emerge. The glistening shell in the archer’s hands only trembled a little, as if trying to say something, but it remained silent all along. Disappointed, Wu-Lang returned his pet to the urn and had his dinner as usual.

As he ate, Wu-Lang gave the incident some thought. He could tell from the youth’s expression that he hadn’t been shy at all, and had wanted to talk to him. However, the mist the youth was standing in had retreated very quickly, drawing him back into the shell in the blink of an eye.

From the looks of it, this mysterious young master was under some sort of enchantment.

After Wu-Lang was done eating and resting, he got up and made his mind. Wishing his pet snail goodnight, he retired for the evening.

The next day he rose early again to leave his house. However, this time he didn’t hide outside, nor did he go to the capital. Wu-Lang sent a spirit message out to his superior requesting for leave, and when he got a response to indicate that his request had been accepted, he made his way to the western Immortal Caves.

Wu-Lang had heard from many tales that there was an ancient sage there who was almost fifty thousand years old. This sage only appeared once in a while to certain wanderers, but Wu-Lang decided to try his luck anyway. When he entered the Immortal Caves he wandered around for a while, trying to find the old man.

The archer unfortunately had no luck. As he turned back, dejected, he presently heard a voice behind him.

“Brother, may I know what you’re looking for?”

Wu-Lang turned around. Before him stood a young cultivator, a man with radiant skin and bright eyes. His hair was completely white, and he stood tall and gallant. He seemed very friendly, so Wu-Lang told him his tale.

“I’m looking for the legendary sage who lives in these caves,” said Wu-Lang. “A young man I rescued recently seems to be under some sort of enchantment. I’d like the sage’s help to break the spell if he can.”

The young cultivator nodded pleasantly.

“That sounds very noble,” he said. “Can this brother tell this lowly cultivator more about what happened, and about the spell?”

Wu-Lang thought about it, and figured that he could. He told the gallant cultivator all about how he rescued the snail, looked after it, and discovered that there was a young man living within its shell. He also described what the mist looked like. All this while the cultivator nodded quietly and stroked his chin, as if in thought.

When Wu-Lang finished recounting his experience, the white-haired young man opened his mouth to speak.

“This spell is an evil curse, but not necessarily one that’s hard to break,” said the young cultivator. “I’ve heard of it before. Only the witches and enchanters of the kingdom of Qian Jin use spells like this.”

Wu-Lang listened to this and his face was grave. Qian Jin was a neighbouring kingdom, and they were usually up to no good. Although there were good witches and enchanters everywhere, that kingdom harboured some very unsavoury ones.

The young cultivator told Wu-Lang more about the spell and how to break it. Indebted, the archer bowed to his benefactor and returned home, eager to help the youth escape his enchanted prison.

When he got home, Wu-Lang peeped through the window. As expected, the mysterious young master was out of the shell, bustling around cleaning the house and cooking. Wu-Lang watched and waited until the young man’s back was turned, before he rushed in, picked up the shell and smashed it to pieces!

With the glittering shell broken and the mist no longer able to work, the young man was unbound from the enchantment. He looked at Wu-Lang with joy in his eyes. He was free at last!

He held Wu-Lang’s hands, telling the archer his story.

The young master’s name was Shuang-Xing. Originally, he was a prince from another kingdom called Qing Xing, but one day his home was attacked by a brigade of enchanters from Qian Jin. As a result, Prince Shuang-Xing lost his home and was captured. The emperor of Qian Jin burned the palace down and occupied the country.

Greedy and selfish, the emperor of Qian Jin enslaved Prince Shuang-Xing, turning him into a snail. Under this enchantment, Prince Shuang-Xing could only appear in front of the emperor. If Prince Shuang-Xing noticed anyone else, he was forced back into the shell. The most he could do when he was in danger was crawl away like a snail, but only when there were no other humans present nearby. If there were, he would be completely shut inside the shell, unable to show himself.

One day, when a group of maids entered the palace to clean it, Prince Shuang-Xing took the opportunity to escape. He crawled into the basket of one of the maids which was left unattended, and eventually managed to escape into a river where it brought him downstream and deposited him in another neighbouring kingdom.

The snail’s journey was wrought with danger. Frightened and lonely, Prince Shuang-Xing could only do his best to fend for himself as a small, solitary creature. When he was attacked by an eagle, even he had thought that this would be his end. Fortunately, he was rescued by Wu-Lang and kept as a pet, sheltered from harm.

For a while, Prince Shuang-Xing was very happy and contented. As he liked Wu-Lang very much, he decided to repay him by cooking his meals and cleaning his house, so that the archer could rest and enjoy a cosy home.

Now that Wu-Lang had broken the spell, Prince Shuang-Xing was very grateful indeed. However, when Wu-Lang heard the story of the prince’s unfair plight, his blood boiled with righteous anger. Bidding Prince Shuang-Xing to stay indoors until he returned, he made his way to the capital and called all his friends together. Then he went to the main palace to have a speech with the emperor.

The emperor was a just person who listened to his subjects. When he heard about Prince Shuang-Xing’s plight, he was angered.

“Qian Jin has gone too far!” thundered the emperor. “Just a few days ago, they caused trouble at our borders again and bullied the farmers there, running away only when the royal guards arrived to chase them. Qing Xing was a peaceful and friendly kingdom, but they have destroyed it; no wonder I haven’t gotten any letters from their emperor in so long. Wu-Lang, gather our comrades together. We’re going to teach Qian Jin a lesson!”

Wu-Lang’s friends nodded gravely. They felt the same way. Being valiant heroes, when it came to people being wronged, none of them could turn their backs on it.

They grouped together and formed a powerful martial brigade. Mounting many spiritual rocs, they swarmed Qian Jin and decimated it!

After the war was won, the emperor of Wu-Lang’s kingdom took over Qian Jin and freed Qing Xing. However, when he offered the reins back to Prince Shuang-Xing, the young master refused.

“I’ve found something more important to me than an empty kingdom, Your Majesty,” smiled Shuang-Xing as he spoke, shyly. He cast a glance at Wu-Lang and the archer beamed warmly back.

Watching the two, the emperor could only smile. Wu-Lang and Prince Shuang-Xing seemed fated to be together.

The emperor was now king of three kingdoms. Wu-Lang continued to serve him with loyalty and valour. And as for Prince Shuang-Xing? He lived happily ever after in a small house by a river, with the man he loved most in the world.


End file.
